Skip to main content

tv   ABC News Good Morning America  ABC  March 23, 2011 7:00am-9:00am EDT

7:00 am
good morning, america. and spring's wild weather. snow blankets the northeast this morning. blizzard conditions in the midwest. and tornadoes tear through four states. there's breaking news from japan this morning. nuclear fallout. radiation, now, poisoning tokyo's tap water. officials warning the water supply's unsafe for babies. plus, new images from inside the evacuation zone. the first picture and the story they tell this morning. a miniature train speeding out of control, caught on tape. young children and their parents thrown from the runaway train. this morning, the father of one of the victims speaks out. you might have heard about the backstage blowup.
7:01 am
what really happened? robin's interview with chris brown making headlines this morning. what happened when the cameras stopped rolling? the latest, on "gma." and we do say, good morning, america. another quiet day here at "gma." >> dawn of a new day. >> we'll get into the chris brown story in great detail later this morning. let's talk about the weather. >> the weather is always safe. so much warmer here. this morning, we're getting so much snow. part of a massive winter storm, dumping hail and twisters all over the usa. >> did we say it was spring? >> i think we did. and from libya this morning, big developments on colonel gadhafi. he made a quick appearance in the last 24 hours. then, disappeared again. now, on the run.
7:02 am
the question this morning, for how long? we need a good laugh. and on a lighter note, this baby is the latest rage online. this baby being watched around the world. this morning, we're going to meet the little guy who has made millions laugh. >> boy, do we need it. >> yeah, we do. first, the fierce winter weather back hitting us hard in spring. sam is out in a wintry mix. even though it's spring. >> yeah, it is a mix. we're getting a bounce off the jacket in the ice in the rain. mostly in times square, this is what we're dealing with. a little water to kick around. look at butler, new jersey, just 30 miles northwest. and a little elevation. you get snow out of the situation. and that's what the northeast is worried about. colder temperatures and some snow, even through tonight. there's plenty of places. we had 12 states with winter weather watches and advisories. 80 reports of severe weather. and damage from that weather.
7:03 am
our barbara pinto is in winterset, iowa. and some twisters touched down. >> reporter: look at this. 1 of 16 tornadoes here in winterset, blowing this barn to bits. the tornado siren sounded around the dinner hour, sending people here and across the state, running for safety. this storm was powerful. it dumped golf ball-sized hail. tore roofs and siding from homes. toppled power lines. thankfully, no one was hurt. but this storm was fierce. it was fast-moving and a full month before the official start of tornado season. david? >> all right. barbara pinto reporting on the weather this morning. barbara and sam, thank you. we'll see sam in just a moment here. we're going to turn to japan, where radiation from the crippled nuclear plant is putting the water supply in real jeopardy. tokyo's tap water testing at
7:04 am
two-times the limit of what is safe. we go to david wright. david, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, david. this is a city of 30 million people. as you can imagine, that's going to be a big demand for bottled water. raid tests show alarming levels of radioactive iodine. in a televised news conference today, a top official with the tokyo water department, warns citizens in tokyo and surrounding areas, that infants should not use tap water. for infants, the recommended limit to exposure for iodine 131 is 100. for adults, it's 300. the amount in the tokyo water supply stands at 210. today, the governor of tokyo said to stay calm, that there's no real threat. not to horde bottled water.
7:05 am
the announcement about the water ratchets up the anxiety about the reactor. and this map, created through data gathered from aerial fly-overs, show the problem is worse closer to the reactors. this is what it looks like on the ground inside the ek collusion zone. the town just 16 miles from the reactor, the streets are empty. but eerily, the street lights still work. local authorities go door-to-door to check on the people who still live here, including this elderly man. his daughter, on the phone, is worried about him. we're fine, he tells her. your mother is getting plenty of sleep. and we've still got some sake. here in tokyo, the big worry is not the amount of sake. but the amount of bottled water. the order applies to all 23 of tokyo's neighborhoods, plus 5 surrounding cities. and one of those surrounding
7:06 am
cities, as soon as the announcement was made, they ran out of bottled water in 20 minutes. david? >> incredible. david wright in japan for us this morning. thank you. physicist michio kaku and our own dr. richard besser are here this morning. thank you for coming in to get into this. i wanted to start with the tap water. we started with some members here. two-times what is safe, the iodine levels. and i'm curious. what's your immediate concern? >> let me explain what iodine does. and that answers that question. iodine has bun function of the body. it comes into our thyroid gland and is used to make thyroid hormone. infants have growing thyroid glands. that will get concentrated in their thyroid gland and puts them at a greater risk for thyroid cancer in the future. pregnant women, nursing women, also a big risk. >> you hear japanese authorities say, buy bottled water for the children but only as needed.
7:07 am
but they were afraid about a run on water, which we've seen already. >> if you're using it in adults, where the risk is much lower, you're going to run out. you don't want to mix up formula with this water. and you don't want nursing women to have this water. >> we feared this about the water. it's now here. dr. kaku, i want to turn to the reactors. there's troubling news on that front. reactor three, we saw reports of black smoke billowing. and images of it in the last 24 hours. what do you make of that? >> it's gone from bad to worse. think of the little dutch boy trying to put out leaks here and here. once the little dutch boy evacuates, the dam breaks. they've evacuated the crew right now, because of mysterious smoke from unit three. and unit two, workers can only go in for 30 minutes. getting a whole year's dose of radiation. >> 500 millisieverts an hour. they had raised the amount
7:08 am
around the plant to 250 millisieverts. we're getting close to that. >> we're close to the limit. at a certain point, workers cannot go in at all. that's the danger point. that's the tipping point. then, you have to evacuate everybody. and the reactor is in freefall. and you have three, simultaneous meltdowns and a raging spent fuel pump that could explode. that's the worst nightmare. evacuation. and then, you abandon ship. >> i wanted to ask you about the temperature readings from reactor one, also troubling this morning. that vessel is designed to withstand temperatures of 575 degrees. we're getting readings of 750 degrees fahrenheit. >> that's dangerous. that means core damage. we believe that the core is beginning to collapse. remember three mile island? instead of having nice, shiny rods, it collapsed to a bowl of granola. that's what the core looked like when we opened it up. that's probably what the core in unit one looks like now. >> with a few seconds left,
7:09 am
rich. also, we took note of the pictures of the firefighters. first time we've seen this. we've known this, rotating in and out, because of limited exposure. >> the big issue is limiting that exposure. and 1,000 millisieverts you're going to see acute radiation sickness. you may see it below that. rotating workers to spread out that risk is something you will continue to see. >> all right. dr. besser and dr. kaku, thank you for being with us. thanks to you both. robin, back over to you. >> all right, david. we turn, now, to libya, where the air strikes from the u.s. and allies are intensifying. and it appears that colonel gadhafi may be looking for a way out, even as he vows to fight on. martha raddatz is in washington. has the latest on all of this. good morning, martha. >> reporter: good morning, robin. this war is not dying down. and gadhafi's forces are not backing off, with vicious attacks overnight on opposition forces. as the military operation enters its fifth day, at least in
7:10 am
public, moammar gadhafi shows little sign of giving up. delivering a fiery speech to supporters on state tv. saying, we will be victorious in the end. i do not fear storms that sweep the horizon, nor do i fear the planes that throw black destruction. i am here. i am here. i am here. and despite the coalition barrage, gadhafi has been able to launch new military assaults. on rebel territory. and there's new images this morning abc obtained from intelligence sources on what prompted the coalition operation. see that mosque? gadhafi's forces opened fire on protesters there. now, look on the right. gadhafi had the mosque razed. there is nothing left. meanwhile, we have learned the
7:11 am
administration is aiming to turn over command of this operation to nato by this weekend. in an interview with diane sawyer, secretary of state hillary clinton, also said that gadhafi was, indeed, getting nervous. >> are you saying there is someone close to him on his behalf saying, how does he get out? >> this is what we hear from so many sources, diane. >> today? >> today, yesterday, the day before. what are my options? where could i go? what could i do? and we would encourage that. >> reporter: one more fascinating note. we told you yesterday morning on "good morning america," about the rescue of that pilot of the downed u.s. fighter jet. since then, we've learned that the rescue of the weapons officer that took most of the day was facilitated by an incredible stroke of luck. turns out, that a libyan citizen who helped find him, used to work at the embassy in tripoli. and remembered how to contact the state department. so, he used his cell phone to
7:12 am
call the operation center there and told them where the weapons officer was. robin? great story. >> amazing. a great story and a great ending there. martha, thank you very much. we have an inside look at that remarkable survival story, the two pilots who ejected over libya after that failure. alex marquardt is at the site where the plane went down. good morning, alex. >> reporter: good morning, robin. people continue to come from all around to see the wreckage of this f-15. they tell us that around 4:00 a.m. this morning, two more bombs were dropped on this site, in an apparent effort to destroy the missiles, leaving this huge crater here. flying over eastern libya, the f-15 strike eagle. the pilot and behind him, the weapons systems officer. the plane is ready for an air strike. but at 11:33 p.m., mechanical failure. the weapons officer ejects. followed immediately by the pilot. parachuting down into the
7:13 am
darkness. >> you pull that handle that's between your legs. and you're shot up on a rocket about 20 gs. a big kick in the seat. thrown out into hundreds of miles an hour worth of wind blast. >> reporter: the two were separated in a field. each has a gps beacon and a pistol. villagers start approaching. the pilot radios for help. just after 1:30 a.m., two u.s. jets arrive and drop 2 500-pound bombs to push back the unidentified group. at 2:19 a.m., two ospreys reach the fighter pilot. above, choppers with marines, but they're not needed. one of the ospreys lands and they're rescued. the second crew member was at n a nearby field, where he was taken in by local farmers. this man's family found the airman. he was confused. he thought they were gadhafi forces. when it was cleared up, he was given juice and some food. the rescue was not all good
7:14 am
news. six civilians were hurt by the bombs dropped. but amazingly, there's little anger. this man's son is in intensive care and may lose his leg. but he says it's a small price to pay for the coalition keeping the gadhafi forces away. one more note about that weapons systems officer taken to benghazi. we were told he was put on an italian ship and handed over to the americans. robin? david? >> alex, thank you very much. between what alex and martha was saying, the sequence of events to happen the way it did. >> the crater there really something. we're going to turn to news in this country and the miniature train that veered off the tracks in south carolina. the images appeared on tape. these were taken by someone on the train. it starts as one of the typical kiddie rides. but what happens next is truly unbelievable. steve osunsami has more.
7:15 am
>> reporter: last saturday, families across spartanburg were in cedar park, riding this small train. at first, the recording shows a quiet ride on a warm and beautiful day. after the first lap, the driver speeds up. and the kids were screaming with joy. but on the third lap, the train speeds up uncontrollably and flies off its tracks as it tries to round the bend. 15 children and 2 of their parents were hurt and bleeding so badly, they had to be hospitalized. 6-year-old ben was here with his church group. he was killed. >> the train derailed. and little boys and little girls who need help now. >> the whole train flipped over in the creek and into the rock bed. it was loaded with kids. >> reporter: brooks harris was
7:16 am
riding the train with his wife and two sons. >> it was frightening for all of us. they airlifted my youngest son, bryson, with a minor concussion. and me and my other son and my wife went to the e.r. and was released. >> reporter: police are now investigating. and sure enough, the driver admitted he was driving wildly to excite the kids. >> we're very sorry for the tragedy. >> reporter: to make matters worse, the train inspection last wednesday was falsified. the inspector never pulled the train out of the gate. this wasn't the first ride to go horfully wrong. this one at the zoo in louisville, kentucky, sent 17 children and 5 of their parents to the hospital in 2009. investigators said the train was moving too fast, needed better brakes and needed a much more experienced driver. this one outside denver injured 15 children and their parents last august. the driver said he knew he needed to slow down and thought he had hit the brakes. but the train sped up. >> you, as the rider or as the
7:17 am
mom or dad, are the final inspector, no matter how many times or how many eyes that ride has been inspected. >> reporter: parents in spartanburg are deciding who they will sue first for this terrible ride. frustrated, they're angry. they're hurt. for "good morning america," steve osunsami, abc news. >> hard to watch, isn't it? and the driver, talking to police, used an expletive and said i was driving too fast. >> trying to excite the children. we're going to move ahead here. george still on vacation. but juju chang is back. >> happy to be back. good morning, everyone. we begin with a legal defeat for google. the company's plan to digitize every book every published is now on the shelf. a judge has rejected the deal with publishers and authors, saying it would give google what amounts to a monopoly.
7:18 am
draw-dropping numbers show a stampede out of a city. in the last decade, detroit lost 25% of its population. that works out to about 65 people leaving the city every day. nearly one-quarter of all homes in the city are now vacant. former nfl star, lawrence taylor, has been sentenced to six years probation. and he must register as a sex offender, after admitting to paying an underaged girl for sex. taylor could also face civil charges. a california man and his dog are back on dry ground this morning, thanks to the coast guard. their sailboat was drifted 120 miles off mexico, with shredded sails and a broken engine. there was no food, no water or safety equipment onboard. the coast guard flew to the scene after getting a heads-up from an amateur radio operator in texas. man and dog are both okay. finally, a happy birthday to rebecca lanier. she turned 119, thank you very much. still in good health, she takes
7:19 am
no medicines of any kind. and still makes her bed every day. born to former slaves in 1892, she never got a birth certificate. so, she can't get into the book of world records. but social security confirms she is 119. happy birthday. >> start a campaign to get her in the guinness book. come on. >> she was robbed. >> she has the social security to prove it. she lives with her grandson who is 61. isn't that great? >> spring chicken. >> and makes her bed every morning. >> good to have you back, juju. let's get back out to sam and a check of the weather. >> good morning. let's start about the spring storm, the first main one to travel all across the country. and remember, the third day of spring. this is how the wintry edge to it. from fargo, in north dakota, they've had up to 14 inches of snow. all the way through detroit, buffalo, hartford, getting snow out of this system today. the close-up of new york is, coastal cities along the east coast and new york. particularly the northeast, will only see a mix today. but later tonight, those
7:20 am
temperatures come down. and there will be some snow. take a look at the strong, spring storm component here. today, we're focused from columbus to almost washington, d.c. but charleston, right in the bull's eye of where the worst thunderstorms will be today. and they will have it all. on the west coast, heavy rain in the valley. half of the state of california has a flood watch or warning out. this will be a big rainmaker for northern california.
7:21 am
good wednesday morning. showers we had earlier this moving well off to the north and the west -- east. will see the showers come to end by midday. a cold front of to the west will potential for severe thunderstorms -- off to the west potential forhe thunderstorms late this afternoon. mostly cloudy skies, showers and storms. 53 to 58 degrees. temperatures will tumble int cold rain in times square. every now and then, it picks up with sleet. robin and david? >> good times. we had a little concert here yesterday on "good morning america." making headlines, really, robin's interview with him. we'll look at what really happened when the cameras stopped rolling. >> so many people were talking about it. we thought we would tell you what happened. and we will, coming up. plus, the latest baby gone viral. what made this little guy go from fright to joy in an
7:22 am
instant? we're going to ask his parents. oh, my. nothing beats the taste of honey bunches of oats with real strawberries. it's full of sun ripened strawberries. and 10 grams of whole grain per serving.
7:23 am
mmmm delicious! nothing's better than honey bunches of oats with real strawberries.
7:24 am
[ man ] ♪ trouble ♪ trouble, trouble trouble, trouble ♪ ♪ trouble been doggin' my soul ♪ since the day i was born ♪ worry ♪ oh, worry, worry worry, worry ♪ [ announcer ] when it comes to things you care about, leave nothing to chance. travelers. take the scary out of life. more bold flavor!onds! more variety! more value! more of what you want... not what you don't.
7:25 am
blue diamond almonds. (play-by-play announcer) it's up and it is... good! more than a snack. oks like it's bumper to bumper on the interstate. i gotta get to cleveland! remove your belt, your watch, your shoes.
7:26 am
i wonder what gas costs today. seven dollars for a pillow! an extra bag costs what? i hate traffic! ♪ [ child ] the train is now arriving. [ male announcer ] the train has arrived indeed. amtrak guest rewards members earn up to triple points this spring. details at amtrak.com. live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning. it is 7:26 on this wednesday, march 23. i am cynne simpson. let's check on your morning commute with lisa baden.
7:27 am
>> we just dr. arlington police. talked to arlington police. that crash is gone. has been a tough drive out of springfield to the wilson bridge with a crash at eisenhower now on the shoulder. this is the pace on springfield springfield to the 14th street bridge. glebe road.t traffic to the 14th street crash at edsall road. that is now out of the way. traffic, makeland your headlights are on. yourself extra time. e rudin in the weather center. temperatures holding in the 40's. 47 in dulles. -- @ dulles. the wrangling is moving toward the north and east. batch across western maryland. -- the rain is moving toward the
7:28 am
north and east. trigger thent will potential for severe thunderstorms. this afternoon, high 50peratures between 53 to degrees. tonight, temperatures will be in the 30's and 40's. storms will come to end. or metro has reported five collisions since december. the safety oversight agency says that train operators are speed and safe driving rules. officials tell "the washington post" that they are working to the problem. we'll be back with another update at 7:56.
7:29 am
7:30 am
♪ ♪ yeah, yeah, yeah i want to see you tonight ♪ who knew it would be the kick seen around the world. yesterday morning on "good morning america," we were so excited to have chris brown on the program. this is already a hit all over the world. "yeah 3x." seen around 3 million times. >> number one on i funs he had the big album debut yesterday. >> came on the program. you asked him some questions. we'll see what happened behind the scenes here. and baby baby, youtube's tiniest star. puts it simply, every time we see that, it's going to light up our morning. >> seen 9 million times around
7:31 am
the world. >> you've seen it about 1 million. >> i'm responsible for 1 million of those hits. also this hour, billy ray cyrus, his most candid interview yet. talking his daughter, miley. and how famer to the family apart. >> that's coming up in our 8:00 half hour. you may have heard about chris brown's appearance here on tuesday. we had a brief interview. then, he performed a single from his hit, new album. it was what happened after that performance that unfortunately made headlines. and our andrea canning tells us what happened next and the reaction. >> reporter: there's been a lot of reaction. good morning, robin. chris brown did become very angry backstage here in our studios. talking about his past clearly touched a nerve. and his behavior, now has everyone talking. >> a shattered window, which chris allegedly destroyed after he stormed off the "gma" stage. >> there he is shirtless, storming out of the studio.
7:32 am
>> brown reportedly used a chair to smash a window in his dressing room. >> i guess he's not a morning person. >> reporter: it's the interview that set off a firestorm. >> recently, the restraining order that rihanna had against you has been relaxed. have you seen each other? been around each other? >> i mean, not really. it's not really a big deal to me now, as far as that situation. the album is what i wanted to talk about. not the stuff that happened two years ago. >> reporter: chris brown had agreed to talk about his past on "gma." ♪ ♪ move your body on the floor ♪ >> reporter: after this performance, he grew angry and stormed backstage with his team. at one point, a cooler was thrown. and this window was broken in his dressing room. at that point, he left the building with his shirt off. >> how are you doing? everybody. >> reporter: brown then headed to an art gallery, after tweeting, i'm so over people bringing this past expletive up. yet, we praise charlie sheen and other celebs for their
7:33 am
expletive. a point debated on "the view." >> somebody backstage said, he's a thug, chris brown. why didn't you call charlie sheen a thug? >> he is a thug. >> reporter: late last night at his album release party, fans had this to say. >> we all make mistakes. it happens. >> reporter: robin conducted one of the first interviews with chris brown after his 2009 sentencing. >> i was wrong for what i did. i would definitely say that. it's not something out of the past or to look over. it's something that's really touchy. like i said, i'm really sorry for what went down and what happened. >> reporter: and throughout the day yesterday, brown tweeted a series of very positive messages, telling his fans he loves them. saying he was humbled by all the support he received. >> i got a few tweets myself. >> i love how it was your second day on twitter, robin. >> you know this and david knows this.
7:34 am
anytime we have a guest here on the program, we let them know ahead of time the subject matter, the topics that we're going to discuss. and even right before the interview, i said that to chris. i was shocked like everybody else. we've had a wonderful relationship. i've spent time with him, as andrea pointed out in the piece. at his home, he was very gracious. and we had a very easy conversation. you saw me laughing during the interview because when he was doing that, i thought he was joking about some things because of the easy relationship that we have. and i'm glad that we've extended an invitation. we'd love to have him back, that he's considering that. >> you were moved in your previous interviews with him how candid he was, saying i'm sorry. >> exactly. >> as we said good-bye yesterday on the show, he had just performed. and blew them all away. let's cue the tape. here we are saying good-bye yesterday. we didn't know he left the studio. >> no idea. >> we cued up the video again because we thought, who possibly moves like this? >> exactly. >> we've always known his
7:35 am
talent. >> and wish him the absolute best. again, we are sending the invitation to him. hope he takes us up on it. would love to have another chat with him. let's move on and cue some laughing babies. a bit of a lighter note. this is a video that perhaps you have seen. you can watch it 1 million times. in fact, people have. more than 9 million times this has been viewed on the internet. you're going to meet baby emerson right here. but first, bianna golodryga on how he and other tots have skyrocketed to fame. >> reporter: who doesn't love watching babies explode with laughter? 5-month-old emerson is the latest superstar in diapers. watching his mom blow her nose, emerson seems torn between sheer joy and horror.
7:36 am
back in the day, if a parent wanted to share their babies laugh with the masses, they would send a video to, say, "america's funniest home videos." but in 2005, youtube came along, making it easier for moms and dads to turn their babies into internet sensations. baby videos have gone viral. some getting millions of hits. 2 million people have watched this toddler dance her blues away. while 1 million saw this crying tot soothed by the powers of reggae. ♪ >> reporter: baby mica can't get enough of paper being torn. a pastime this fellow even enjoyed so much, he can't stay seated upright. not much viewers have trouble with. 38 million people stayed glued to their seat to see him get bowled over by laughter. the youtube video with the most views ever? a little music video called
7:37 am
"baby." but on the list of the top-ten youtube videos of all-time, only one video is a home video. and that video features a baby. well, two of them. >> ouch. ow! >> reporter: a video called charlie bit my finger comes in at number five on the most-watched list with nearly 300 million views. >> charlie bit me. and that really hurt. >> reporter: charlie is laughing. and so are all the other baby superstars out there. but as for emerson, well, his mom's cold is no laughing matter. or is it? for "good morning america," bianna golodryga, abc news. and so, we're joined, now, by the star himself, baby emerson. his mom, karen. his dad, mike. they come to us from london,
7:38 am
ontario, this morning. thanks for being with us. >> thanks for having us. >> i'm sure emerson gets you up early every morning. >> he does. >> i have to admit, i'm probably responsible for 1,000 of the hits on youtube. are you surprised at the number of people, more than 9 million, who viewed this, karen? >> oh, wow. we didn't know it was up to high. yeah. we're shocked. we were planning on sending it out to a few close families and friends. it just exploded. >> that's the wild thing. you'd never gone on youtube to post a video before. you put it up there, initially, for your closest friends, right? >> yeah. yeah. exactly. i just learned how to upload it that day. >> so, take me back to the moment, the starring moment. were you in the kitchen? you had a cold? >> yeah. i was really sick. had been sick for about a week. kept blowing my nose. and that morning was the first morning he started laughing afterwards. i got the camera out. >> you mentioned the laugh. we saw what came before the
7:39 am
laugh, sheer panic. when you saw that, what were you thinking that he was thinking? >> i wasn't sure. obviously, he was really scared. he was laughing after, so i knew he was okay. >> and dad, michael, when you first saw that video? >> i was just glad she captured the moment. she texted me at work and said she got a great video of him. and i was really glad that we captured it. it's nice to get these moments. >> that baby is so cute sitting on your lap. those giant eyes. about as gerber baby as it comes. can you tell me a little about emerson himself? does he laugh often? >> yeah. he's a happy baby. we're lucky. >> except for his mom to scare him like that. >> no, no. it wasn't. i have been getting a little bit of grief for that. >> and i hear dad often makes emerson laugh himself. what's the trick? if you can't sneeze or blow your nose, what do you do to make the little guy laugh?
7:40 am
>> i think he likes a lot of attention. when i play with him after work, if i'm just playing and goofing around with him, lifting him up in the air and stuff, he laughs a lot. it's a good feeling to see him. >> see if we can make him smile for all of america here. >> come here, buddy. hey. what's up? there it is. hey. >> that's it. he is saying, what is going on here? we won't make you blow your nose. i understand he's now desensitized from it. he doesn't freak out in any kind of way when you blow your nose anymore, right? >> no. he's used to it now. >> and i couldn't help but notice, we watched the video before we came on the air this morning. and i noticed the google ad popped up. and you're putting the money from those ads to a great cause. you're going to send him to school one day. >> that's our plan. we're going to put it in his education fund. >> thanks for getting up so early with us.
7:41 am
when emerson gets older, tell him he did a great job on "good morning america." >> okay, thank you. >> thank you very much. >> i hope i'm back here in 20 years to do the follow-up interview with emerson. >> i hope he has those big ice. >> what a cute baby. sam champion in the snow. what's going on? it's kind of a joke now that spring's started. >> i know. good morning, david and robin. it's a sigh of relief. we're measuring it in wet rain today in major east coast cities. but inland areas have certainly picked up some snow. it's a long line of wintry weather in this first spring storm to travel across the country. wauwatosa had some snow. we had reports of 11 inches of snow to 14 inches of snow. look at this storm animation. south of that lineup what will be wintry weather is a very violent patch of storms today. so, we're really concerned about that area shaded in red. stay up with your local abc stations. quick look at the outlook, as we talk about what's going on on the west coast. we have some heavy rain that moved into the valley today.
7:42 am
and that means some flooding all th hope you had a good start wednesday morning. skies for today. showers and afternoon thunderstorms. 53 to 58 degrees. the cold front moving through overnight. storms will come to an and here's what's ahead on your "morning menu" on "gma." what's the real cost of air travel? we'll break it down and look at the extras on the flight. "gma" will do the dollar for dollar on the air travel there. and our candid conversation with billy ray cyrus. we really get into it. also, a royal dish. a rare perspective on an inside look on the royal family. a little inside info on prince william and harry, coming up. [ female announcer ] we asked coffee lovers
7:43 am
to come and try coffee-mate's new cafe collection flavors. then we asked them to show us how the taste inspired them. ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] introducing new rich caramel macchiato. ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] indulgent white chocolate caramel latte. ♪ oh, do it [ female announcer ] and creamy cafe latte. ♪ express yourself [ female announcer ] add your flavor... with coffee-mate, from nestle. to have their close-ups taken by a fashion photographer. then we asked them to try new dove visible care. a revolutionary new line of body wash with the highest concentration of nutrium moisture. visible care makes skin visibly more beautiful in just 1 week. ♪ when they saw how much more beautiful and radiant their skin looked with new dove visible care... there was only one question. ♪ new dove visible care creme body wash.
7:44 am
so, i get claritin clear. non-drowsy claritin relieves my worst symptoms. and only claritin is proven to keep me as alert and focused as someone without allergies. whoa ! watch your step ! thanks ! live claritin clear. how about a coastal soup and grilled shrimp salad combination at red lobster? or maybe skewers of tender, wood-grilled shrimp. or your choice of shrimp paired with wood-grilled chicken. all served with unlimited, freshly-baked cheddar bay biscuits. seafood lunches starting at just $6.99 that fit into your budget and your lunch hour. only at red lobster.
7:45 am
at least seven times this year airlines have raised their ticket prices. while those fares are obvious when you buy the ticket, there's other less visible fees. and they can add up. we sent matt gutman on a flight from miami to new york, to see how many extras you could wrack up. how did you do? >> reporter: tough assignment, robin. you can wrack up many of those
7:46 am
fees. we took a pet. in this case, not a real one. it was nemo. at the end of the day, we managed to wrack up more in hidden fees than we did in the ticket itself. step one, buy a ticket. $360. >> thank you for calling united airlines. >> reporter: if you do it over the phone, that's 25 bucks extra. step two, getting to the airport, where you don't even have to try to spend money. extra leg room. i need it. it almost gets spent for you. extra miles. $33 for extra miles. why not? triple miles. bags. two bags. plus, overweight, 55 pounds. 160 bucks for a bag. what do you think? and my carry-on was too big. another $100. >> do you have a puppy in here? >> reporter: i have a like puppy here. this is not a real pet. but we paid the real 125 bucks.
7:47 am
ticket, bags, nemo, time to get on the plane. time to put the credit card away? not for me. the good news, you can watch about 100 channels. the not so good news, is it costs 6 pucks and you have to use this again. and i would have bought a blanket if they had them. in our trip, we wracked up $540 in extras. the ticket ran $398.70. it could have been worse if i had flown frontier after a moose hunt. if i wanted to bring the antlers, there's a $100 antler charge. if you can believe that. on the ground, we met our fair genie, who proposed a way to save. package deals. >> here's how. the airlines are more comfortable lowering their prices as part of a package than the stand-alone prices. >> reporter: robin, the airlines have been reeling from the soaring ticket prices.
7:48 am
they've tried to impose a number of hikes over the past several months. over the past couple years, most of their profits have come from these extras. just all of them. >> i cannot believe how much you did that. and that there's an antler -- >> yes. a real antler charge. >> all right. thank you. keep nemo here. coming up, billy ray cyrus. his most revealing interview net. what he has to say about his relationship with miley and rebuilding his family.
7:49 am
when you realize that depression has left you nowhere to go. when you've lost interest in everything. when you've had one too many days feeling sad or anxious... aches and pains, fatigue. when it becomes hard to ignore that you need help. that's the day you do something. depression hurts.
7:50 am
cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported. signs include abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes. talk with your doctor about your medicines, including those for migraine, or if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles, to address a possible life-threatening condition. tell your doctor about alcohol use, liver disease, and before you reduce or stop taking cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. side effects include nausea, dry mouth, and constipation. is today your day? talk to your doctor... and go to cymbalta.com for a free 30-capsule trial offer. depression hurts. cymbalta can help.
7:51 am
7:52 am
a lot coming up. so happy to have a woman who knows both princes william and harry so well. and she has some inside scoop. and now, the pedigree brand presents your doggy degree in 15 seconds. you'd do anything to keep your dog healthy. and a clean mouth can help your dog be healthy and happy. how should you be brushing your dog's teeth? get the answer now at abcnews.com/gma. [ female announcer ] all you need for sensitive skin.
7:53 am
all you expect from the number-one recommended detergent by dermatologists. all free clear is free of dyes and perfumes. and has powerful stainlifters to help get your whole wash clean. it's all good.
7:54 am
but sometimes i wonder... what's left behind? [ female announcer ] introducing purifying facial cleanser from neutrogena® naturals. developed with dermatologists... it's clinically proven to remove 99% of dirt and toxins and purify pores. and with natural willowbark it contains no dyes, parabens or harsh sulfates. dirt and toxins do a vanishing act and my skin feels pure and healthy. [ female announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser from the new line of neutrogena naturals. [ fem♪ e announcer ] new purifying facial cleanser ♪
7:55 am
[ female announcer ] bursting with mouth-watering real fruit and refreshingly blended with creamy low-fat yogurt, mcdonald's strawberry-banana and wild berry smoothies are 100% pure sipping fun. the simple joy of real fruit smoothies. ♪
7:56 am
live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> it's 7:56 on this wednesday, march 23. good morning. am cynne simpson. here is lisa baden with a look at traffic. tough morning a the rain. we will take you live to some of cameras. be moving faster than the princefrom william parkway to the 14th the princege and william partway through springfield. e pace northbound across the 14th street bridge. wrecks gone.
7:57 am
not bad in rosslyn or near the pentagon. even washington boulevard is decent. has plenty of delays. 270 southbound out of germantown. a crash in hillendale maryland -- hillendale, maryland. to steve rudin. most of the rain has come to end. showers and order storms -- of a coldrms are part that could become severe. temperatures will be between 53 and 58 degrees. toward the south, it will be 60's, even the lower-70's. a big cool down tonight. degrees. tomorrow, sunshine. afternoon, 47 to 52 for temperatures. process. annual pothole-palooza
7:58 am
start, filling over 300 potholes on the first day of the campaign. want residents to or -- e-mail or tweet with requests of pot holes to fill.
7:59 am
8:00 am
♪ the voice, the music, the words of billy ray cyrus. we're going to hear more words from him. candid conversation, talking about the whole thing, what he took on his family. what he says he could have done differently as a dad. and a promise to his superstar daughter, miley. we have that coming up. we say good morning, america. george is taking some time off. it's great to have david muir here this week. >> great to be by yourself. this morning, royal insider this morning.
8:01 am
so lucky to have her. she knows prince william and prince harry. and she was there following princess diana's death. >> we keep learning more and more about the wedding. and the nanny cam that's gone to the dogs. want to know what your dog's doing when you're not around? you can put on a doggy cam to track all his mischief. look at that. marty becker is here. it's one of the great, new gadgets. >> get on the treadmill. first, juju chang is back at the newsdesk, after a couple of days off. great to have her back again, as well. >> good morning, everyone. there is new concern this morning about radiation spreading in japan. the tap water in tokyo has been deemed unsafe for infants. radioactive iodine levels are now twice what's considered safe. but we're told that the water is still safe for adults that are not pregnant. the reactor at the nuclear
8:02 am
power plant has released a new plume of smoke, forcing workers to evacuate again. radiation is so severe, crews are being switched out every half hour. the obama administration is hoping to turn over command of military operations in libya to nato by this weekend. in a televised speech, moammar gadhafi vowed to stay and fight. the secretary of state, hillary clinton, tells diane sawyer, some gadhafi allies have asked the u.s. about options for his stepping down. back in this country, new details about a missing girl from connecticut. the seventh grader may have run away after relentless bullying at school. jeremy hubbard has the latest on the search. good morning to you, jeremy. >> reporter: good morning, juju. her family is expected to address the media here later this morning. it's been a heartbreaking three days since they last saw little bella, a 13-year-old girl who is deaf in one ear and doesn't have her hearing aid with her. some think she may have run away to escape her bullies. by the busload, search teams
8:03 am
converge on the dense woods by isabella oleschuk's connecticut home. police and volunteers, desperate to find the 13-year-old reported missing from her home sunday morning. her parents tell the police her disappearance is mysterious. >> all of us are frightened. we know where the stories can take you. we don't want to go there yet. >> reporter: at bella's church, a burning candle, left here by her aunt. on monday, the sanctuary overflowed with local people concerned. a local reporter went to police after parents and kids contacted her, saying bella was relentlessly made fun of for her quirks. they say schoolmates called her duck girl because she likes to make duck noises and animal sounds. >> she had told kids at school that she was going to run away because the bullying was so
8:04 am
terrible. and she was sure her parents were going to make her go back to school. >> reporter: police are investigating two possible sightings of the girl. but so far, those leads have gone nowhere. and now, the search for little bella stretches into another day. one of those sightings was an employee who spotted the girl matching bella's description at a restaurant 30 miles from her monday night. surveillance tape of that restaurant has been handed over to the fbi. they haven't confirmed it's her. we get to learn more from the family here later this morning. juju? >> jeremy, we'll stay on that story. thanks for that update. in other news, federal authorities are reissuing a crib recall after another death of an infant. it's a drop-side crib by delta enterprises. nearly 1 million were recalled in 2008. but the latest infant to die died in a crib sold second-hand. abcnews.com has full details on the recall. now, diane sawyer has brain exercises for us on tonight's
8:05 am
"world news." i'll let her tell you. >> good wednesday morning. and good morning, america. pay attention. we're going to tell you how to make your memory better. a simple training will do it all. and we'll show you how. it's tonight on "world news." don't forget. >> we will check that out. and finally, it wasn't snakes on a plane. it was a penguin on a plane, that created quite a stir on a southwest flight. all eyes were on pete the penguin when he waddled down the aisle. he was flying back home to sea world in san diego, where he's used to being the center of attention. that's the news at 8:05. time for weather with sam and new friends braving the spring shower. >> good morning. welcome back. nice to see you. everybody is cuddled at this point. it's a cool rain. it's national puppy day. is that for real? or did you make up a sign? >> it is national puppy day. we're here from wellness food for pet. >> for adoptions?
8:06 am
>> yes. >> we have a couple here. this is bella. and she knows her name. boy. you just turn around. good shot of bella. and this is weans, the wiener dog. >> it's your dog. you can name him whatever you want. one or two things going on. we are going to start with the flooding. as you look in the middle of the country, here's what's going on today. we're getting heavy snow on the northern line. and getting rain in the southern section. the heavy snow, added to the snowpack this, is not a good situation. we know by the end of the weekend into the twin cities, we'll have high water in the flood zone in that area. keep up with your abc station there's. in southern california, heavy rain today. one to three inches possible. that's a real problem for the valleys. this is another area where there's a lot of flood watches and warnings out. and these storms will pop today, from columbus to charleston. from richmond, to d.c., we'll see storms along there. and cities in the northeast,
8:07 am
at mostly looking skies, maybe even some sunshine while to the south and of the area. temperatures will be warmer there. in town, 53 to 58 degrees. front arrives late afternoon into the evening. there will be potential for thunderstorms. storms will come to an end overnight. is 36 to 42ow degrees. is partly i love that you guys are standing out in the rain with us. that's just awesome. and between -- what's your name, sir? >> gene. >> where are you from? >> la grange, texas. >> and mike. >> i'm dry because i have coverage here. >> they have you covered, sam. that's great. thanks. billy ray cyrus is a busy man. tv producer.
8:08 am
and he's also the father of music's famous teenager, "miley cyrus." billy ray's been making headlines about his daughter, her show, and what it did to his family. so, he sat down with me recently, to set the record straight. >> i love "hannah montana." i love disney. i wouldn't trade this experience for anything. >> you're just a kid. >> but i'm your kid. and you taught me to stand up and fight for myself. >> reporter: billy ray cyrus, country singer and father of teen sensation, miley cyrus, is singing a slightly different tune after giving "gq" magazine a revealing interview. where he says, the tv show that launched his daughter's career, "hannah montana," quote, destroyed my family. things were going well with you and the family. you were enjoying it. do you stand by those comments you made with "gq"? >> i did that interview with
8:09 am
"gq", a few weeks before christmas, in the midst of a divorce. it was a mess. surrounded in darkness. and "gq," the writer and photographer showed up. >> you didn't mean any of those things? >> here's where i'm at. >> okay. >> right now, there's a lot of positive communication between me and my family. you know, i love my family more than anything in the world. and that family extends out into the disney family. i have a lot of great friends at disney. i love the company. i love what they stand for. >> some critics will say, wait a minute. you're backtracking now. how do you convince us that's not the case? >> as far as convincing anybody of anything, i don't have to do that. i just want to put my family back together. >> reporter: recently, billy ray and his wife called off their divorce. but billy ray admits that rebuilding his family, and specifically his relationship with miley, is still difficult. was she upset with you after
8:10 am
reading the article? >> i think we were all upset with me. >> yeah? >> it wasn't good. what i meant to say and what i hope i said was, fame can be a dangerous animal. and it's a delicate thing. ♪ yeah it's a party in the usa ♪ >> reporter: fame and youth. it's a delicate balance that his daughter, miley, is learning to dell kate, as she grows up in the limelight. we've seen the picture with the bong, which miley has apologized for. do you feel there's still people in her life that don't have her best interest at heart? >> i think that, most importantly, miley has a great heart. she's very intelligent. and she will make good choices. she knows right from wrong. she's got a great heart, great
8:11 am
spirit. and i trust miley. >> at times do you feel you were trying to be too much of a friend than a dad to your daughter? >> i look back on it. and i know that i did kind of approach being a dad as a friend. and maybe i could have done some things different. >> do you feel you've been given another chance? >> i still think that my kids need a dad. and i can promise them that i'll come back in and do the very best that i can do. and i may be persecuted for saying it. but i still want to be miley's friend. i want to be that person that she comes to talk to, for good, bad, indifferent. i want to be the person she wants to talk to. and i just want her to trust and know that i love her more than life itself. and i'll be by her side through the good and the bad. >> she's got plenty of friends.
8:12 am
she needs a daddy. >> i promise you. i'll do my best to be a good dad. >> reporter: while he may struggle with parents, billy ray is clearly a man passionate about his family and the lessons to be learned from their experiences. and that extends to learning about a deadly lung disease, copd, that afflicted his grandfather. >> when you go to copd.com, you can take a five-question screener and find out if you're a candidate for copd. i took the screener. and i came out good. ♪ she's going to do what she's going to do ♪ >> reporter: taking each day with its blessings is a mantra for billy ray. most importantly, recognizing if his kids grow up, his role as a dad needs to evolve. let me play you a clip. this is the first time that you and your daughter, miley, came on the show. >> i used to go to work with him all the time.
8:13 am
now, it's like he's going to work with me, which is really weird. >> when you look back, is there something you would tell your daughter, the things that you know now, that you would tell her then, and something you would tell yourself, knowing what happened? >> i look back on it. to me, just realized that it probably wasn't long before that interview right there, that i wrote the song, "ready, set, don't go." ♪ even if she asked me to tagalong ♪ >> i knew that it was -- my little girl was going to grow up. i didn't realize that it was going to happen, like, so huge, so quick, so enormous, around the world, that, you know, she would become, you know, the next big superstar, you know? i look back on it now and just wish we would have just, maybe, enjoyed the ride just a little bit more. ♪ please don't go
8:14 am
>> and we should mention that billy ray is compensated for his work on the cma copd campaign. we're delighted to hear that the family is healing and coming back together. >> i love what he said what he learned after doing that "gq" interview. >> he said, you shouldn't do an interview when you're in a dark place. it's like going to the grocery store when you're hungry. >> you pointed this out. i thought it was interesting. tish put on facebook after your interview, his wife. our family weathered a huge storm. i feel we are stronger than we've ever been. much love. when we come back here, a peek inside the palace, with the royal insider. she's here with us this morning. and she knows princes william and harry, a lot better than we do. and harry, a lot better than we do. can't wait.truly "match my miles" challenge.t thd they're so confident their miles are better, they'll match the miles you've earned on your airline credit card -- up to 100,000 -- on a new venture card.
8:15 am
it's unbelievable. believe it. venture card miles are good on any airline, anytime. it's like an upgrade from this... to this. sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com today and get up to 100,000 miles. what's in your wallet? impressive, right? to feel the world around you. eucerin daily skin balance... a light, fast-absorbing body lotion with shea butter leaves skin healthier and stronger each and every day. daily skin balance... only from eucerin.
8:16 am
uncovering hotel freebies like instant discounts, free-nights... ...and free breakfast at hotels in virtually every city. so, thanks to this large man in a little jetpack... you can search thousands of hotel freebies... right now only at priceline. ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have anallergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms
8:17 am
and works when you need it most. benadryl®. .you can't pause life. great to have you with us on a wednesday morning. and our royal diary this morning, a rare perspective on the windsors. colleen harris was the secretary for prince charles. she is our abc contributor.
8:18 am
and she joins us with insight on the wedding a few weeks away. thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you very much. great to be here. >> you were with these boys right after they lost their mother, princess diana. you joined six months after? >> that's right. princess died in august. and i joined in april '98. it was still a very raw time for all of the princes. they had been through a very, very difficult period. and they were making a recovery. but if you think back, they'd already gone through the trauma of the separation of their parents. and then, the divorce. and then, finally, and sadly, their mother died. so, it had been a very difficult time. for the prince of wales, or prince charles, as you call him, and william and harry. >> so much has been written about this, as you know, colleen. but so many lived it with the boys and their father. prince charles, you saw a much different father behind the scenes, didn't you? >> he gets a lot of negative
8:19 am
coverage, actually. and he's portrayed as being a rather cold and distant father. and that's not the person i saw when i worked there. he was very close to his sons. very supportive. and he guided them through this very difficult period. and i think there's a testament to that now. you can see two very sensible, rather charming young men. and that didn't happen by accident. >> and after so much friction with his wife at the time, princess diana, and going through that divorce, you witnessed a father being very supportive about a mother that these boys were truly heartbroken over. >> exactly. it's not to say that the prince of wales himself wasn't heartbroken over her death. it was a sad loss for him, as well. but he did have to be there for the boys and help them through. and on the occasions i saw them all together, it was a very loving and gently amusing relationship between the three boys. and he did step in when necessary, as a disciplinarian, as well. >> let's talk about the wedding,
8:20 am
if we can. >> okay. >> we'll turn the attention to what's coming up in a few weeks' time. there's so much protocol with the royal family, as you know, colleen. but let's talk about the personal. how much will be personal about this wedding? >> what we're seeing is it's a very personal wedding. i think william and catherine want to make it a very special day for themselves. if you think about it, catherine's experience with weddings has been rather like ours, going to a family event. and it's personal and intimate for the couple. and they're trying to do that for their own wedding. they want it to be the most special, personal, memorable day for themselves. >> and we learned here on "good morning america," about the carriages, the two options. either option will be one of the carriages that diana and charles rode in. >> yes. well, i think this is fine because, you know, for william, he wants his mother to be there in as many ways as possible. and i can understand that. i think if i was in the same
8:21 am
situation, i would want my mother to be there, in different ways that she can. and so, that's what they're trying to do. and i think catherine is very happy with that. >> we know there are often speeches at the wedding. three that are royal tradition. the father of the bride, who we will hear from for the first time. and the best man, prince harry. not just because he's the brother. but these guys are best buds, too, right? >> exactly. >> that's maybe not a royal term. but best chums. >> i've never used it at the palace. but we can give it a try. very close. very close, indeed. a textbook relationship of the older brother and the younger brother. the older brother, slightly serious, and the younger one a little naughty. >> what do you hear from them? >> i think the speech will be very amusing. i can't say what the content will be exactly. but i think it will be very, very amusing. >> and prince william will give a speech, as well. >> yes. the groom does normally give a
8:22 am
speech. yes, he does. and sometimes the bride does at some modern weds. >> i was going to ask you. how likely do you think we will hear from kate? >> i'm not sure. she is a very modern girl. we may. >> and prince charles, do you expect to see any kind of tears? will we break royal tradition in that way? >> they rarely show emotion in public. and i remember going to the caribbean with the prince. and he didn't break a sweat at all. they kept saying, how do you do that? somehow, they manage to keep it quite contained until they're in private. >> do you talk with them at all? >> not very recently. but i have done, over the last few years. >> i did ask before we went on the air, if you were going to the wedding. and you said it was protocol. as a member of the staff, you weren't expecting an invitation. staff members aren't invited. >> i wasn't expecting an invitation, no. if it happens, i'm going to be working for abc, anyway. i'll be there in a different
8:23 am
guise. >> a much bigger invitation, i might add. >> a bigger hat. >> colleen, thank you for coming in for us. we'll be back with the cat that's speaking louder than you ever heard. good morning, america. so many of us complain that we can't get a good night's sleep. so, here are a few, simple, quick, tips to help you sleep like a baby. first, try to do the same routine every night before you turn in. it will relax and you train you're brain and body that it's time to sleep. second, if you're not asleep after 15 minutes, lying in bed, change rooms. and don't get back in bed until you're feeling drowsy. go to abcnews.com/gma to get my dos and don'ts of napping. i have what science calls the "nightly stuffy nose thing": i can't breathe... so i can't sleep... and the next day i pay for it. i tried decongestants... i tossed & turned... i even vaporized! and then i fought back: with drug-free breathe right advanced. these nasal strips instantly opened my nose, like a breath of fresh air. i was breathing and sleeping better!
8:24 am
[ female announcer ] exercise your right to breathe right... get two free strips at breatheright.com. hey, it's your right to breathe right! you have a child with adhd. you're getting calls from his teacher he's impulsive in class. and his inattention makes focusing on homework tough. i know how it is because my son has adhd too. i didn't know all i could do to help manage his adhd. our doctor suggested a treatment plan with non-stimulant intuniv.
8:25 am
[ male announcer ] once daily non-stimulant intuniv has been shown to reduce adhd symptoms. don't take if allergic to intuniv or are taking guanfacine. intuniv may cause serious side effects, such as low blood pressure, low heart rate, fainting, and sleepiness. intuniv may affect the ability to drive or use machinery. other side effects include nausea, tiredness, trouble sleeping, stomach pain and dizziness. tell the doctor about your child's medicines and medical conditions, including heart, liver or kidney problems. i'm a mom first and a teacher second. so i did my homework and got informed. [ male announcer ] ask the doctor about once daily non-stimulant intuniv.
8:26 am
8:27 am
live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. >> good morning, everybody. i am alison starling. it is 8:27 on this wednesday. has the check on traffic. >> we have a check on metrorail. line delays on the trains -- andg single-tracking the e stations.ide of th an additional wait for customers. let's look at traffic in maryland, boo-hiss, the lays out built -- of the authors guild. to our region in northbound 95 and 395
8:28 am
drive.en a very long now to steve rudin. wet palin this morning. showers earlier today. skies -- what pavement -- wet pavement this morning. r today.rlie skies now.dy temperatures will be well into the 60's and lower-70's. showers and thunderstorms will diminish. to 42 for the overnight low. sunshine. marylandemains of a marine, killed in afghanistan, arrive at dover air force base this morning. chowski was from westminster. leaves behind a wife and two children. at 8:56.ate
8:29 am
8:30 am
[ cheers ] oh. we have the cat who is really turning up the volume. smokey may be the loudest feline on the planet. just listen. [ purring ] off the charts, david. we're going to put her to the sound test. >> this poor, little cat. she's lived in how many homes? >> countless homes, really. going from home to home to home. >> the owners can't take it anymore. also, we have hot, new gadgets for your pets at home. our "gma" veterinarian, road testing the products headed to stores. this is for real.
8:31 am
this is a pug on a treadmill. >> marty becker keeping a close eye. believe it or not, we have a new look in diet food. cookies. lasagna. that man right there, rocco dispirito will give us the details. get it started in here. we're so bad at this. we'll give it a shot. also, counting down to our britney spears concert event. we asked you to channel your inner britney. you saw what we had yesterday. they were good. they were brave. this morning, 9-year-old aaliyah has taken brittany's song, "circus." ♪ >> how sweet. she's never had a dance lesson. >> that's right in the kitchen of her home. >> and keep in mind, we're less than one week away, david.
8:32 am
we have to come back for this. tuesday, march 29th. britney spears, celebrating her new cd, "femme fatale," with a "good morning america" concert. it's going to be in san francisco. the city by the bay is already buzzing. we can't wait to be there. >> i heard juju is putting together a video. her own britney moves. >> that little girl is better than i am. no moves this morning. we'll give you more headlines this morning. we begin with a developing story out of detroit this morning. authorities say a suspicious device removed from the federal building last friday was, in fact, a bomb. the fbi is trying to determine who may have placed it in the building which houses several federal agencies. of course, the top story we're watching this morning is in japan. radiation levels have spiked in tokyo's tap water. more than 150 miles from japan's damaged nuclear power plant. the water was deemed unsafe for infants and pregnant women to drink. in medical news, the key to
8:33 am
preventing high blood pressure may be on your breakfast table. a new study finds men who eat a bowl of cereal each day has a 20% lower risk of developing high blood pressure. and finally, technology usually reserved for humans has given a miniature horse in texas a new lease on life. 4-year-old midnight has just been fitted with a specially designed prosthetic limb because he was born missing part of his left leg. check him out. now, he's walking and running like other horses. he'll probably be on that treadmill before you know it, right, robin? hey, sam. time for the weather. hey, sam. >> good morning, juju. we're standing out in kind of spring in new york city. it's a mix of rain and sleet. but this is the first storm system that made it all across the country. we have 16 reports of tornados in this storm. one of them is confirmed. 14 states with winter weather
8:34 am
watches, warnings or advisories out. look at minneapolis-st. paul this morning. not too long ago, they did not have snow. but there's definitely snow with this storm. heavy snow in the northeast. up to a foot from pennsylvania to new england, with roads already slick. in the midwest, sirens wailed as 16 reports of early spring tornadoes and a line of spring storms swept across nebraska and iowa. 65-mile-per-hour winds, hurling debris across this highway in syracuse, nebraska. and golf ball-sized hail battered the ground, smashing windshields in winterset, iowa. it's just the third day of spring. and already, we're seeing all kinds of severe weather from coast-to-coast. >> the way it's all jammed in the middle. it's going into the field on both sides. >> reporter: record-breaking winter snow is melting. and residents in river bank communities on-edge. chunks of ice are filling the missouri river, shutting down
8:35 am
highway 93. but fargo, north dakota, is preparing. with almost 13,000 volunteers, they filled 2.4 million sandbags since february 14th. other water problems in maine. a breach in this dam causes flooding. no word on when they can get home. in the west, landslides. this one in scotts valley, california, left a community stranded. >> it was definitely scary. >> it was a rumble, rumble, rumble for a minute and a half. >> reporter: and days of rain sent rocks plummeting, cutting off 25 homes. it is wet in california again. it is also wet in new york. thanks to paul and landon and emma and will. i'm dry because we're using two or three umbrellas. four of them. let's get to the boards. as you head out the door, it's likely you will face a long line of snow in northern areas.
8:36 am
this snow is kind of heavy from fargo to green bay. into new england, don't worry so much about the major northeast cities. from philly to new york to boston. it's basically a mixture of rain in whatever falls. but it may go to snow overnight tonight. check with your local air carriers the later you travel. but the punch of strong storms around charleston, in the heart of it, could get into washington, d.c. and also into nashville. a look at the warm, dry mostly cloudy skies today. showers and thunderstorms the south andom of a cold front. the high as around 53 to 58 degrees. temperatures are wel we are live in times square. i love you guys coming out in the rain. that's fantastic. all that weather was brought to you by edward jones. robin? >> everywhere you go, sam, he makes friends. especially ones with umbrellas on a rainy day.
8:37 am
let's get to the very loud cat. smokey may be setting records for the loudest cat in the world. who else but nick watt out to investigate, huh? >> reporter: smokey seems pretty normal. furry. friendly. that's because the volume's down. crank it. unreal. almost constant. is smokey is loudest cat in the world? 92 decibels. most cats peak at 20. what does 92 decibels mean? it's louder than a washing machine. about the same as a truck engine, idling across the street. and just a fraction less than what you would hear from a jet engine as a plane comes in to land. who's a noisy kitty? she gets in the way of your life? >> it can be very annoying if you're on the telephone. >> reporter: and she drowns out the tv. >> the severe storm system is -- >> reporter: hey. no one drowns out george.
8:38 am
just think of the movies she could ruin. >> she will start a loud tone. it seems to be in during an intense part of the film. >> reporter: "gone with the wind." >> frankly, my dear -- >> reporter: "sixth sense." >> i see -- >> reporter: dirty harry. >> go ahead -- >> reporter: they made up some rules. we tried to make them out. and clocked smokey from 3 1/2 feet away at 65 decibels. a touch below her best. does that ever get on your nerves? >> every day, it gets on my nerves. >> reporter: cats purr because they're happy. for now, can we call smokey the happiest cat in the world? "good morning america," nick watt, northampton, england. >> one way of putting it. >> go ahead. >> we knew that nick would come through with it. and that is smokey's eighth home. you were asking earlier. >> eight and counting.
8:39 am
coming up on "gma," six meals a day. >> okay. >> that's how you lose weight, according to rocco dispirito in the house. he's going to explain it. and he has a quiz for r
8:40 am
8:41 am
41 minutes past the hour. time, now, for "america's recipes." rocco dispirito. >> rocco. >> it's all the healthy eating.
8:42 am
"now eat this." atop the best-seller list. now, he's with "now eat this diet." >> it's good for your waistline and taste buds. rocco says you can lose ten pounds in two weeks. >> the average american according to a u.s. study eats 3,797 calories each day. that's almost three-times you need to make it through a day. all the food you see here is one day's worth of food. 1,250 calories. this is less than half the average of the food intake. if you save 2,700 calories a day, that's 1 pound a day. >> we're going to have a quiz. >> you have the cards made up so people -- >> we have the cards made up so people can explain how to break down the recipes and use them. we color-coded them. we have blue recipes that are 350 to 450 calories.
8:43 am
yellow, 250 to 350. green that are 150 to 250. >> we're supposed to go with that. >> this is a recipe from the breakfast section. it's scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, olives and toasted baguette. this would be a dish that would be 610 calories. and the actual calorie amount is 214. robin, you were right. right job. >> what do i win? i win scrambled eggs with salmon. >> you want a hug and good health. >> all right. this one. >> the next one is a crispy -- >> keep it. >> the next is a crispy, loaded pizza. pizza with mushrooms, sausage, peppers, basil, tomato. originally this would be a 602-calorie dish. one portion, by the way. now, only 316 calories.
8:44 am
both wrong. >> who has the buzzer? is there a buzzer going on? >> i do. we take these back. >> we put the yellow down. >> you are taking this very seriously. i love it. you had a teacher that give you a hard time, huh? the next dish is a no-boil mushroom lasagna. these are no-boil noodles. 100% whole wheat. and they are fantastic. you mix no-fat ricotta, with parmesan, which happens to be low-fat because it's made with skim milk. basil. parsley. a little bit of flaky sea salt. and some pepper. >> i love how you do that. >> and mix it up. >> that's it? >> pretty much three steps. you start to layer it. with no-boil noodles you literally don't boil them. the water comes from the
8:45 am
mushrooms. people usually saute the mushrooms and throw the water away. i like to use the water to cook the lasagna. >> how long does it cook? >> 40 minutes. >> i love the layers. >> you layer it up, as high as you want. and put all your favorite mushrooms in here. >> that's the end result? >> that's the end result. >> delicious. >> you have been waiting. you know, i -- i have to -- i'm not going to agree with you. >> all right. so, this lasagna would be, at minimum, at minimum, this portion right here, 850 calories, at minimum. one dish of lasagna can be almost your entire caloric intake one day. now, it is only -- david, you are a smart man. 388 calories. >> 1-1. >> you owe me five bucks. the next thing on the menu for today, peanut butter and jelly
8:46 am
cookies. why? why not? these would normally be 397 calories. they're only 55 calories. and these are -- these are red velvet brownie squares. normally 263 calories. only -- only -- >> you did. you had the green one. turn it. >> 106 calories. nice job. >> robin does it again. >> i think robin won. >> we all are winners here. as you're saying, this is something you eat all day long. >> this is one day's worth of food. 1,273 calories. >> so much food. you're not going to go hungry and lose weight in the process. >> can you come back and tell us this every day? >> we want you to make these dishes in your kitchen. go to abcnews.com/gma, to get all the recipes. plus, a bonus recipe for rocco's yummy apple pie.
8:47 am
these two kittens go high-tech. the latest and greates
8:48 am
8:49 am
this poor, little kitty's heart's pounding. but it's going to be okay. "good morning america" back with this year's global pet expo, one of the biggest. the biggest ever. so many innovative products are about to hit your home. "gma," dr. marty becker, veterinarian extraordinary. this is one that caught our eye when we came in. the notion that you can spy on your pet. >> this is the nanny cam for pets. it's called the inaminal. you'll get a look at what their world is like. where are they sleeping? maybe another cat is beating up on it. it's a really great product. >> what's the wildest thing you've seen on one of the cameras? >> you and i are going to shake
8:50 am
hands. pets greet each other a little differently. >> this is a morning program. next on the list is an i.d. tag. >> this is an amber alert for pets. there's an 800-number on the other side. if your pet is lost, they call the 800-number. it contacts you up to six ways. cell phone, home phone, business phone, e-mail, text message, if your pet is lost. it sends an alert to every veterinarian and shelter in a 50-mile radius to let them know your pet is lost. >> i put down on this segment, where did they go? >> to eat. >> food. >> cats are predators by nature. but rather than just putting the food in a bowl, make it like a job. you put the food in the top here. the cat knocks it around. it goes through the pors. the little smarty, making it more difficult. you have to knock the food down for it. it ends up in the bowl here. >> gives them something to do when you're away. i love this.
8:51 am
this is almost hard to believe. but am i looking at a treadmill for pups? >> this is the pet run 700. this is a treadmill for dogs. if i can get it to start up here. the pet run 600 -- let's take a dog that's overweight or obese, or you're living inside where there's a lot of snow in the wintertime. you live in an upper east side apartment. you're elderly, and you can't exercise your pet. you put them on the treadmill. >> did he pull the plug? >> he must have pulled the plug on the darn thing. >> what's next? >> you want to keep pets off the furniture. the solution before, was to put aluminum foil on there. this is a great product. $19.99. it's the wool buddy blanket. you have it over here. and you turn it over. >> what's that noise?
8:52 am
>> they don't like that sound. actually, putting it in a doorway to keep the pets from going into a room you don't want them to go into. the living room or the kitchen. >> this looks like something from "there's something about marry." >> it could be, yeah. >> we should mention all the pets we have here are up for adoption? >> yeah. like matty is here. got her teeth cleaned. our beautiful jana, on the treadmill. >> and very good shape. on this treadmill all morning long. >> the thing with pugs, they have difficulty breathing in hot weather. this might be a perfect example for a dog that needs exercise that can't be out in the hot weather in the summer. >> we want to thank you the humane society of new york. give these cats and dogs a home, if you would. we'll be back, on "gma."
8:53 am
♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] bursting with mouth-watering real fruit and refreshingly blended with creamy low-fat yogurt,
8:54 am
mcdonald's strawberry-banana and wild berry smoothies are 100% pure sipping fun. the simple joy of real fruit smoothies. ♪
8:55 am
how many items are you up to? >> we have to thank rocco for
8:56 am
this. this is his new book, "now eat this diet." it was amazing to see all that food and know you can consume that in one day. thanks, rocco. >> and rocco looks great. >> rocco's amazing. i don't know where he went. >> there's a shot of rocco. >> from rocco, to jana the dog. we want to prove that treadmill works. jana, still going at it. live and in hd, this is an abc 7 news update. good morning once again.
8:57 am
is 8:56. am alison starling. is lisa baden with a look at traffic. up the phone with metrorail. have a problem on the green line. it is outside of the anacostia n.atio there was no service earlier, but that has changed. to single-track the that area.ugh metrorail deciding to single- the trends between anacostia and plaza station. earlier, they were requesting a shuttle. greene and yellow line customers can anticipate an extra delay. let's look at the pace of traffic. your headlights are on. good at connecticut bridge.nd 14th street the rain has come to an end being. time grab your umbrella.
8:58 am
you will need it this afternoon. the cold front is approaching the west. range in temperatures, 53 to 58 around the immediate metro. milder temperatures. south of us will be into the 60's. north, the 40's. tonight, the storm will come to an end. time, we will fall into the 30's 240's. -- to 40's. senator barbara mikulski against pepco, about theo testify utility's frequent outages. she wants regulators to put in place.tandards thank you for watching. we will be back at noon.
8:59 am

499 Views

info Stream Only

Uploaded by TV Archive on